Perhaps it would be a cliché to compare email marketing to fishing. But please indulge me for a moment.

Both email marketing and fishing require the correct bait (subject line). You must know the waters in which you fish and the fish you hope to catch (segmentation). There is an element of skill, trial and error, and even a little luck in both pursuits. And patience is definitely a virtue.

There is more to fishing than simply sticking a worm on a hook and casting it into unknown waters. And yet, this is the approach that many email marketers continue to adopt on a daily basis.

The problem many marketers face is often due to the fact that, when they first started collecting customer data, they had no plan, other than perhaps producing a simple customer newsletter. This is particularly true of companies that have achieved extremely rapid growth in sectors like online retail.

Andrew Train, managing director of UK-based online fishing tackle retailer Tackle Discounts, understood that to be a successful email marketer, he would have to adopt the tactics of a skilled fisherman.

Tackle Discounts started life in 2004, selling across the globe via online marketplaces such as eBay and Amazon. From humble beginnings, the company has grown to become one of the largest online fishing retailers in the UK and continue to sell across multiple channels, including its own website: www.tacklediscounts.co.uk.

Having built a substantial list via a number of mediums over the years, Andrew was left with a bucket of names he knew very little about. This meant his newsletters and marketing promotions were either very general, or completely hit or miss.

Andrew pulled his lists into iContact and set about understanding his customer base by asking a very simple question via email: What kind of fisherman are you?

Recipients didn’t have to fill in a survey or reply to the email. They just had to click on an image that represented the type of fisherman they were (carp, course and match, game, sea or predator). For their efforts, they were rewarded with a free entry into a prize drawing for a discount voucher.

Within 48 hours, Andrew understood exactly what “floated the boat” of 18% of his customers. He was then able to create new segments within the iContact software, allowing him to send more targeted emails and increase the frequency of campaigns sent.

Although representing a fairly small percentage of his entire list, this group of engaged subscribers represents the most likely to buy, and, therefore, will welcome the increased relevancy and frequency of campaigns hitting their inbox.

To ease the logistics of sending a greater number of emails, Andrew adopted a clean, easy-to-edit template allowing him to quickly customize campaigns efficiently.

Recipients who chose not to interact with Andrew’s initial email would continue to receive an occasional “general” email message, again encouraging them to divulge the nature of their chosen sport.

iContact provides all the tools you need to easily identify what your customers are interested in just from a simple click. If you are worried that you are casting your emails into unknown waters, isn’t it time you asked your customers, “What kind of fisherman are you?”

Read the latest from our blog

With just days to go before the new European Union Global Data Protect Regulation (more commonly known as GDPR) comes into effect, there has never been more focus on email marketing in the news and on social media. Understandably, marketers are concerned about compliance, and if you’re not sure whether your MORE…

I’m not a BIG fan of the BIG marketing campaign. I would much prefer to work on a continuous flow of bite-size campaigns that drive a constant flow of traffic into my business than gamble on the success of one BIG, expensive marketing extravaganza. The problem with BIG campaigns is MORE…

Do you suffer from email marketing–related anxiety? It’s a common malady, normally identified by a quickening of the pulse, a dry mouth and sweaty palms prior to hitting the send button on your latest email campaign. No Cure While there is no cure for email marketing–related anxiety (and it may MORE…